Scientists Reveal the Relationship Between Sugar and Cancer

Many of us have heard so much about the reasons why we should cut sugar out of our diets altogether. According to many health experts, white sugar has no redeeming qualities and all it does is make you crave for more. However, now we find out something very serious from studies that have been done between sugar consumption and cancers.

This research has been published in the renowned journal Nature Communications, and was conducted by three organizations who partnered together to research the relation between sugars and cancer cells. The researchers, VIB, KU Leuven, and VUB, found that when cancer cells break down sugar, tumor growth is then stimulated. The study provides for the public, evidence of a direct relationship between cancer and sugar.

It appears that according to the research, sugar awakens cancer cells. Professor Johan Theivlein, of KU Leuven, states that hyperactive sugar consumption of cancerous cells turns into a vicious and dangerous cycle where cancer growth is being constantly stimulated and therefore, the tumors become even larger. This tumor agressiveness is called the Warburg effect. This research will help to lessen tumor growth in the near future, but for now it already helps to create specific diets for cancer patients, now that doctors know that there is evidence that sugar awakens cancer cells.

For cancer patients, with help and suggestions from a doctor, this may be a way that cancer growth can slow down and reduce its agressivness, by avoiding sugar in their daily diets. Of course this evidence does not replace all other cancer treatments that have been chosen for any particular patient, but it will add another healthy aspect to their diets and nutritional intake.

Otto Heinrich Warburg was responsible for finding what is now called the Warburg effect, which discovered cancer’s sweet tooth. His research, nor do the recent studies, call themselves a cancer cure by any means, cancer research is always ongoing because there are so many forms of cancer and many respond to diets differently. But both research studies do prove unequivocably that sugar is not good for cancer cells because it causes larger tumors and tumors that are formed more quickly.